“Object in Focus” is an initiative of the Regional Ethnographic Museum – Plovdiv, which continues within the permanent exhibition “The World of the Iron,” drawing attention to intriguing objects from the collection of Dimitar Dobrev.

The first featured object is a bronze Chinese iron from the late 19th to the early 20th century. It reveals a preserved cultural tradition spanning more than two millennia, with roots reaching back to Ancient China.

A special highlight of this object is its ornamentation—relief decorations and stylized motifs, among which the dragon stands out as a mythological figure symbolizing strength, power, and prestige. These decorative elements are not only ornaments, but a visual language through which messages about the cultural context are spread, revealing a rich world of symbols.